Page 44 - LBV 2017

INTER-COMPANY TRAINING & VISITS
Leadership Development Training
One of the many aims of the UOTC is to commission young, bright Officers into the Regular or Reserve Army. The main selection procedure for commissioning is a visit to
the Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB) at Westbury. This can be intimidating and difficult to prepare for alone, so Cambridge UOTC designed a series of weekends to enable OCdts to practice certain aspects of what they might
OCdts get to grips with the obstacle course
face at AOSB. If AOSB was not on the cards for OCdts then this training will assist them with the skills required to succeed at civilian selection centres for a career of their choice.
The training included a wide variety of activities that challenged candidates both mentally and physically. Activities included the multi stage fitness tests (MSFT), circuit training, command tasks where each OCdt got the opportunity to
The blind command task
42 THE LIGHT BLUE VOLUNTEER
A number of Officer Cadets provide their views on the weekend below;
“I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend; the weekend gave me an in-depth look at the
inner workings of the process that happens at Westbury, for the initial briefing stage of the officer application route.
Tests such as the planning exercise, which was particularly taxing mentally, or the lecturette, which requires both confidence and great subject knowledge, having the chance to practice these was much appreciated and gave me a huge boost to my confidence heading towards the briefing, but also gave me more knowledge on the different stages of briefing too.
On the Sunday there was a chance to have
a go at the obstacle course, something I have struggled with for years having a fear of heights, however, during this weekend it allowed me to alleviate this fear of obstacle courses and by the third run I was practically sprinting compared to my first run of the course. The obstacle course was also fun and helped build teamwork and leadership, something that is very important in the army.”
OCdt McConnell, University of East Anglia, A (Kimberly) Company
“This was a great weekend which enabled me to gain an insight into the process as previously I had no idea what it entailed.
My group consisted of Mod A’s, like myself, Mod C’s, JUOs and reservists. The mix of experience within my group was beneficial to me as I was mixing with likeminded people who I gained knowledge from to do with their previous experiences.
Once these had come to an end we had
a briefing from our DS on our progress and performance over the weekend. These were extremely helpful and enabled me to judge how far off I was from being ready for the selection process.
Overall, the weekend was very enjoyable and helpful. I would definitely recommend attending to anyone who is considering a career in the military or who wants to gain confidence/experience.” OCdt Sharpe, University of Hertfordshire,
A (Kimberly) Company